Apparatus for securing closure caps to bottles



. June 24,1969 A. w. RENNER 3,451,193 v v APPARATUS FOR SECURING CLOSURE CAPS TO BOTTLES Filed July 5. 1966 Sheet of 2 FIG. I

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' FTTOEMETLYS June 24; 1969 A. w. RENNER APPARATUS FOR SECURING CLOSURE CAPS T0 BOTTLES I Sheet Filed July 5, 1966 FIG 2 10.4. dalu l mmaes United States Patent 3,451,193 APPARATUS FOR SECURING CLOSURE CAPS T0 BOTTLES Arthur W. Renner, Summit, N.J., assignor to Owens- Illinois, Inc., a corporation of Ohio Filed July 5, 1966, Ser. No. 562,658 Int. Cl. B6511 7/28 US. Cl. 53-334 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Temporarily closing newly formed bottles with plain deformable skirted closure caps which serve initially as dust caps until removed to permit filling the bottles with a product, such caps then being reapplied to the bottles as permanent closures; the apparatus for initially applying the caps or dust-covers including a cushioned top pressure roll for holding the caps firmly on the bottle necks while opposed crimping rolls turn in diametrically opposed portions of the free edge of the skirt to grasp a protuberance on the bottle neck.

My invention is a method of and apparatus for temporarily securing closure caps to containers in such fashion that these caps function initially as dust covers during handling and shipment from the container manufacturing plant to the packer who removes the caps, immediately fills the containers and then utilizes these same covers in finally hermetically sealing the filled containers.

Conventional newly formed glass bottles and the like containers are simply placed in shipping cartons for ultimate delivery to customers. Irrespective of whether delivery is made promptly, foreign matter, carton dust, etc., finds its way into the bottles, necessitating thorough washing by the packer prior to placing a product in such bottles. Washing apparatus is expensive to purchase, maintain and operate and, of course, occupies considerable valuable floor space. Then too, there is the matter of time consumed in the washing operation. Complete elimination of the need for washing newly formed bottles or jugs very obviously is most desirable.

An important object of my invention is the provision of simple, novel means which completely avoids the need for washing newly formed glass containers prior to their first use.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a novel method and apparatus, in the utilization of which closure caps, which ultimately will hermetically seal product-filled containers, initially are releasable, though reliably aifixed to the containers at the point of manufacture, such caps remaining on the containers from the time the latter are manufactured until they are positioned on the packers filling line.

It is a further object of my invention to initially secure the caps to newly formed bottles by simply turning in the lower margin of the cap skirt at one or two isolated points to create a lug or lugs which engage the lower side of an annular rib or bead encircling the bottle neck just beneath that area which is externally screw-threaded, or perhaps provided with cap engaging lugs.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of my application:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the apparatus, showing also part of a bottle and an applied cover cap in section; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the cover cap 3,451,193 Patented June 24, 1969 ice revealing the two lugs or fingers which releasably secure the cap and bottle together.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, I have illustrated the preferred form of apparatus for affixing cover caps in accordance with the basic concept of my invention and practicing the method involved. As stated above, closure caps, preferably of the tamper-proof type and embodying a tell-tale band which separates from the cap proper incident to initial removal from the bottle and formed of aluminum or like metal or alloy, are telescoped over the neck of newly formed bottles at the cold end of an annealing lehr and releasably yet securely affixed in place to function as dust covers until the packer is ready to fill the bottles with a specific product. At this point the caps are removed, thus presenting the filling and capping machines with commercially sterile bottles requiring no washing internally, before filling and hermetically sealing same. The same caps which functioned as dust caps now are permanently secured to the bottles and function as the final bottle sealing means. As is perhaps best shown in FIG. 2 the closure cap C comprises a panel 10 or top portion and a depending annular attaching skirt 11, together with a sealing liner 12 or gasket. Near the lower, or free, margin of the skirt is an annular series of circumferential slots or deep scores 13. These define to a degree a line of separation between the cap proper and the tell-tale band 14 or locking ring, which will remain upon the neck 15 of the bottle B when the cover cap is first removed. The bottle B may be of any commercial form and the neck 15 is formed with an annular external bead 16 spaced from the rim end and between the latter and said bead is provided with conventional screw-threads 17, or perhaps lugs, for holding engagement with the cap skirt 11. The lower side of the bead 16 provides a continuous downwardly facing shoulder 18 for engagement with the tell-tale band 14, as is apparent. Initially the cap skirt 11 is unthreaded, as shown, but following its placement on the bottle to form the final seal, threading rolls or other suitable conventional devices, press or roll threads (not shown) into the skirt for mating with the thread 17 of the bottle neck and concurrently therewith the entire lower margin of the skirt is turned inwardly into firm contact with the shoulder 18.

According to my invention these cover caps C are slipped over the bottle necks 15 while the bottles are fairly warm at the discharge end of the annealing lehr and therefore commercially sterile. These bottles in upright positions are moved seriatim on a traveling horzontal conveyor 19 to a cap-affixing station. A frame 20 (FIG. 1) supports the conveyor 19 and includes a pair of spaced apart vertical columns 21, one at each side of the conveyor 19. Near the upper and of these columns 21 is a horizontal cross-shaft 22 or rod about which a pressure roll 23 may swing vertically, said roll being mounted upon a horizontal shaft 24 journaled in the free end of a frame comprising a pair of arms 25. These arms 25 have their other end connected to the aforementioned rod 22. A fixed bracket 26 carried by each of the columns 21 lies beneath one of the arms 25. An adjustable stop screw 27 on each bracket 26 functions to regulably control the operating level of the pressure roll 23, as is obvious. The pressure roll has a ring 28 of resilient compression material secured to its periphery for contact with the cover caps. A motor M operating through pulleys 29 and an endless belt 30 rotates the pressure roll at the proper speed in relation to the advance of bottles on the conveyor.

A pair of tapered crimper wheels 31 or rolls, one at each side of the path of the bottle necks, operate at a level to pinch in small isolated finger-like segments (FIGS. 2 and 3) of the bottom edge of the skirt 11 to form lugs 32 for holding engagement with the under side of the bead 16. These crimper wheels are rotatable freely on individual vertical axes, such provided by short vertical rods 33 from which the wheels are suspended. Each such rod is secured to a vertically swingable horizontal supporting arm 34 which is pivoted by a vertical pin 34a to a cross-bar 35 carried by the columns 21. An adjustable tie rod 36 connects the arms 34 to the pressure roll support frame so that the two elements may be variably spaced apart as cap skirt height requires and moved vertically as a unit. The two crimper wheels supporting arms 34 are interconnected by a rod 37. A coil spring 38 on said rod and a nut and washer device 39 on said rod yieldingly urge the crimper wheels toward each other for firm contact With the cover caps moving between them. Thus, as the bottles advance beneath the pressure roll 23 and between the crimper wheels 31 the closure caps C are pressed tightly onto the necks by said roll 23 and the wheels 31 bend inwardly two isolated segments of the extreme lower edge of the skirt 11 to firmly engage the shoulder 18 of the neck head 16. An effective dustcover is thus formed to prevent entry of foreign matter into the bottles during handling and shipment to the packers.

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for releasably aifixing skirted sheetmetal cover caps to the necks of bottles, means for moving upright bottles with caps loosely telescoped over the necks to an affixing station, means at said station for pressing the cover-caps to scaling position on the bottle necks and means at said station for bending the cap skirt inwardly at two diametrically opposed points of its free lower edge to create fingers holdingly engaging an external shoulder on the neck, the means for pressing the cover caps to sealing position being a rotatable pressure roll mounted on a horizontal axis above the path of travel of the bottles with its periphery at an elevation to contact the caps, the pressure roll having a peripheral portion formed of a cushioning material and means for rotating the roll.

2. In apparatus for releasably affixing a skirted sheet metal cover cap to the neck of a bottle, means for moving upright bottles with caps loosely telescoped over the necks to an affixing station, means at said station for pressing the cover caps to scaling position on the bottle necks, a pair of freely rotatable crimping rolls, one at each side of the path of movement of the bottle necks and adjacent the pressing means for bending the cap skirt inwardly at two diameterically opposed points only of its free lower edge to create fingers holdingly engaging an external shoulder on the neck, a generally horizontal rail at each side of said path for supporting a crimping roll, and means for varying the spacing apart of the rails to thereby compensate for differences in the bottle neck and cap diameter.

3. In apparatus as defined in claim 2, the rails extending generally parallel to the path of movement of the bottles, means pivotally supporting the rails at one end for vertical swinging movement, and means for moving the rails in unison on their pivot to thereby change the elevation of the crimping rolls.

4. Apparatus as defined is claim 3, a vertically swingable frame above said rails supporting the pressing means and means interconnecting the frame and rails whereby both may be adjusted as a unit.

5. In apparatus as defined in claim 4, the pressing means being a rotatable pressure roll mounted on a horizontal axis in said frame and the means interconnecting the frame and rails being a tie-rod adjustable in length to change the vertical spaced relationship between the pressure roll and crimping rolls.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,319,213 5/1943 Davies 53-316 X 2,995,882 8/1961 Barnby 53-38l X FOREIGN PATENTS 777,324 11/1935 France. 522,438 6/ 1940 Great Britain.

TRAVIS S. McGEHEE, Primary Examiner. 

